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Fan coil unit annual maintenance checklist

The annual fan coil unit service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IMC, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Items
6
Photos required
8

Who runs it

The mechanical service tech on the annual, with the unit off and the space protected.

When in the schedule

Once a year in a shoulder season, when a room can be taken down long enough to open the cabinet and clean the coil and pan properly.

The checklist

Every item, and the photo that proves it

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.

01

Coil and pan

  • Coil deep-cleaned and fins combed

    Coil cleaned through the full depth of the fin pack, drainage confirmed after rinse, bent fins combed, no leaks at the tube connections.

    2 photos
  • Drain pan removed, cleaned and re-pitched

    Pan pulled and scrubbed to bare surface, biological growth removed, pan and line re-pitched to drain, trap rebuilt and primed.

    2 photos
02

Valves and piping

  • Control valves stroked and serviced

    Two-way or three-way valves driven full range, actuators seating and opening, no weeping at packing, coil bled of trapped air.

    1 photo
  • Isolation valves and connections checked

    Isolation and balancing valves operable, flex connectors and unions dry, insulation intact on chilled-water lines.

    1 photo
03

Motor and controls

  • Motor and blower assembly serviced

    Motor bearings checked, wheel cleaned and balanced, belt or direct drive inspected, amp draw within nameplate at each speed.

    1 photo
  • Thermostat and unit controls verified

    Space thermostat calibrated, heating and cooling changeover proven, occupied and unoccupied modes working, no overrides left set.

    1 photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

  • Coil hit with a shot of cleaner from the front and rinsed, while the fouling packed deep in the fin pack stays and the wet-coil pressure drop never recovers.
  • A control valve seized part-open written up as a 'slow zone' when the real fix is a valve rebuild or actuator replacement.
  • Pan cleaned but the drain pitch never checked, so it re-slimes and clogs again before the next quarterly.

Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.

Submission state

Mandatory items answered6 of 6
Photos attached5 of 8
Submit locked, 3 photos missing

The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.

Verified against

Common questions

What does this fan coil unit annual checklist cover?
6 items across 3 sections, covering coil and pan, valves and piping, motor and controls. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?
The mechanical service tech on the annual, with the unit off and the space protected.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?
Once a year in a shoulder season, when a room can be taken down long enough to open the cabinet and clean the coil and pan properly.
Why does every item ask for a photo?
8 of the 6 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a fan coil unit annual inspection?
Coil hit with a shot of cleaner from the front and rinsed, while the fouling packed deep in the fin pack stays and the wet-coil pressure drop never recovers. A control valve seized part-open written up as a 'slow zone' when the real fix is a valve rebuild or actuator replacement. Pan cleaned but the drain pitch never checked, so it re-slimes and clogs again before the next quarterly.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?
Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.